Title: Becoming Real
Author: Carol A. Clarke
Email: Carol.Clarke@mail.state.ky.us

Chapter 10
Needing to Believe


Kate once again stomped around the dungeon. She was pissed. Pissed at the world, pissed that there were demons, pissed that her father was dead, pissed that she never really got to know her mother, pissed that she was still alive, pissed at these crazy people imprisoning her. What was making it all the worse was they were being nice to her. They had bought a bed, TV and refrigerator and set them up for her the first day. They asked her what kind of food she wanted. Worried that there were not enough covers. They gave her time alone while at the same time not leaving her alone for long periods. They listened to her cussing and angry rants like they were watching an ABC movie of the week, back when the movies were still good.

Kate was absolutely over come with their kindness. No matter how mean, hateful or just down right rotten she tried to be toward them they just took it and tried to make her comfortable. It was driving her nuts. She was almost convinced she had gotten killed and was now in hell.

Hearing the door open, Kate picked up the one bottle of Budweiser she was allotted a day and threw the empty bottle at one of her captors. Normally this did no good. Buffy just caught the bottle, Willow used some kind of magical shield that simply tossed it into the near by trash car and Tara just made the bottle disappear.

This time it wasn’t one of the witches or the slayer, this time it was Duncan coming through the door. And this time Kate hit her mark perfectly. The bottle hit the wall beside the door and broke into pieces sending glass shrapnel over the whole room. Then Kate noticed the tiny cut on the side of the girls' arm.

“Ow” Duncan cried as real tears leaked from her eyes.

Kate just stared at the creature. She wanted the girl to grow two heads, turn green and eat her. She wanted to beat the girl into a bloody blue pulp. She wanted a reason, any reason to hate this girl, this thing. She wanted to torture her, to beat her with her bare hands. But as Kate looked into the girl’s face she wondered, and not for the first time since she had been chained up, which one of them was the monster.

Duncan had already begun cleaning up the mess. She had grabbed the broom and was sweeping up the glass. Kate just stood there watching, waiting, as the girl cleaned up all of the broken glas, and the food plate the girl had been bringing her.

“I'll have to make you another sandwich and that was the last of the roast beef. Is bologna ok or would you like peanut butter and jelly?”

Kate could still see the tears in the girl’s eyes and she had no idea how to respond to the girl’s reaction. Reinfields were passive but this was ridiculous. It was also frightening to her. She honestly needed a reason to hate this girl. Thing, Kate reminded herself. But at every turn, she and the witches had responded with kindness.

You still have a piece of glass in your arm, come here and let me take it out.” Kate ordered

“No you’ll hurt me.” Duncan said from the safety of the other side of the room.

“Just come here.”

“Buffy said I could protect myself from you.” Duncan replied unmoving.

“Yeah, and I bet she told you not to hurt me either.” Kate laughed

“She didn’t have to tell me that, you’re human, I am never to hurt humans. It is a rule.” Duncan replied moving closer.

Kate just burst out laughing. It was so totally absurd. It was a demon, what else did demons do but hurt humans. “She has turned you into a good little pet hasn’t she?” Kate replied roughly pulling the girl around to look at the arm wound.

“I am not a pet. I am a slave.” Duncan said proudly. “Miss Kitty is the pet.”

“Yeah but I bet you both have you own collars with your names on them too.” Kate said as she pulled the large piece of glass out of the girl’s arm.

“Buffy doesn’t make me wear my collar any more, she threw it away when we moved to Sunnydale. I was a good girl and didn’t need it.” Duncan stated as she tried to move away from Kate. Kate just grabbed the girl and pushed her on to bed pinning her arms behind her back.

“You really are a good little dog. I bet she doesn’t have to beat you anymore does she?” Kate then pulled Duncan’s pants down and squeezed her bruised ass checks. Buffy had been spanking Duncan a great deal since she had chained Kate up in the dungeon and the little Reinfields bottom was well bruised from the slayer’s belt. Not that Tara and Willow hadn’t added their own few strokes.

“Funny, this ass doesn’t look like it belongs to a good girl. It looks like it had to be beaten a lot. But I guess you like that don’t you?” Duncan just laid their crying. Kate pulled her own belt loose out of her pants. Laughing at the stupidity of these women to leave her in possession of her own belt and shoe laces. Doubling the belt she then started whipping the girl. Logic said force the girl to unchain her. Logic said the Reinfield was docile and non-violent, getting Duncan to release her would be a snap. Logic was not in control. Kate could have escaped a hundred times over if logic was in charge. Both Buffy and Willow had set up a hundred ways of escape for Kate. They were not going to release a suicidal vengeance demon, no matter how human she was, on unsuspecting Sunnydale. So Buffy had Willow devised methods of magical release spells that once Kate stopped being self-destructive would set her free.

Kate began to swing wildly whipping Duncan across her back then across her ass. “Come on fight me, it’s no fun if you just lie there and take it.” Whap Whap Whap. “I know, how about I find something to shove up your ass.” Whap Whap Whap. “No I bet you like that too, I know how about I play with your pussy.”

“NO Please” Duncan screamed and tried desperately to wiggle away. “Please, you can play with my ass, hurt me but not that please not that.”

“I thought something like you would like it. Pussy touching, oh fuck me baby fuck me. Or was that one of the witches I heard last night?” Kate said kicking the girl back on the bed.

“So tell me, I got it wrong didn’t I? If I had shoved that cucumber in that pretty little pussy of yours we wouldn’t be having this conversation would we? The bitch would have killed me, and then you? Am I right?” Whap Whap Whap Whap “Well am I?” Whap Whap Whap “Answer me.”

“Buffy doesn’t kill humans.” Duncan answered. She was totally stuck with fear and unable to move or run away. Her Reinfield sense had taken over.

“I know, let’s find out. How about I fuck that little pussy of yours until Buffy comes home and we'll see if she kills me.”

“Depends on how bad you want to die.“ Buffy said from the door. Martha wide mouthed at her side.

“Duncan come here, let me take you upstairs and get you cleaned up.” Buffy said gently. Duncan started to run but tripped over her own pants. Buffy caught her and picked her up into her arms. “I am so sorry.” Buffy whispered into her ear before kissing the girl. Duncan just started crying, hugging Buffy with all her might. As Buffy turned to go upstairs she said to Martha, “Can you stay down here with Kate? Just keep out of reach she is not in her right mind and is extremely dangerous now. Maybe you can ask her why she wanted to be caught raping my Reinfield?” And with that Buffy left.

“Bitch you are going to die.” Kate screamed but sunk down on the bed and started crying. Martha just moved over and sat down beside Kate. She then picked up the belt and tossed it across the room.

“Not going to take my shoe laces.” Kate asked.

“Do I need to?” Martha replied.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Actually checking on you. Can't say I am happy with what I’ve found.” Martha said honestly.

“They kidnapped me.” Kate stated hopefully. Maybe she could get away and then what? Kate had no idea what she was doing.

“That is why I came, I thought that might have been the case but now I know differently.” Martha said. She was hoping she could get through to the good woman she had once known.

“And what do you know!” Kate said hatefully.

“Kate you were a good cop for a long time. You understand how crime and criminals are handled. Well in a way you have crossed a line. Just as there are courts for humans there are laws and rules in the demon world. And you have crossed over the line. This is the court for those matters and Buffy is the judge. Normally she leaves humans to humans but you went way over the line. But I am sure you know that. Would you have really raped the girl?” Martha asked

“She isn’t a girl, she is a thing, a monster.” Kate spat back.

“A monster, do you even know anything at all about Duncan!” Martha said angrily.

“She is a monster.” Kate restated.

“Funny I thought it was you trying to do the raping?”

“A monster Martha. A monster. A thing.” Kate screamed. Why couldn’t she see it? See them? See the Evil?

“A monster, evil, demon, thing, Martha a thing. They kill children, the innocent. They kill….”

“Your father?” Martha whispered.

“Yes they killed my father, those things, I have to kill them. Evil, THEY'RE DEMONS."

“You mean like Jews?” Martha again asked in a whisper.

“Jews, Martha what are you talking about, I am taking about evil, about demons. Evil like real demons.” Kate cried.

“So am I. In World War II, the Nazis killed 6 million Jews, God knows how many gypsies and homosexuals not to mention the people that just didn’t agree with them. And the really evil part of it all wasn’t that it was some kind of purple demon pumping gases into the showers. No the real evil was that it was people just like you and I. Normal old everyday people. And when those normal old everyday people were asked why they did the awful things they did, well they replied, ‘Jews are evil, demons, things and needed to be destroyed.’ Kate, you and I both know Duncan couldn’t fight her way out of a paper bag. She has less evil in her than any creature, human or not, that I have ever known. She would never rape anyone. The real question you need to ask yourself is, if Buffy hadn’t stopped you, would you have hurt the girl?”

With that Martha went up stairs to check on Duncan.

Duncan was curled up into a ball with her head on Buffy’s lap. Tears falling down her face.

“Is she ok?” Martha asked sitting down on the end of the bed.

“No” Buffy answered while running her hand through Duncans' hair. “Would you be?”

“It didn’t even happen to me and I am not alright.” Martha said with a great deal of anger.

“How is Kate?” Buffy finally asked after a long silence, her hand never leaving Duncans' head.

“Insane.”

“She knew I was due home. Somewhere in that brain of hers she knew.” Buffy said angrily.

“You really believe she wanted to be caught in the act.” Martha asked

“Don’t you. How hard would it have been for her to get free? She had control of Duncan. Willow and I have given her so many chances to get loose.”

“Then why stay. Why hurt Duncan?”

“First she doesn’t see Duncan as something she shouldn’t hurt. That method she used to challenge me. Reinfields are normally killed or worse once it is delivered. They’re killed because they have been polluted, violated. It's the same stupid philosophy they used in the Middle East where they kill women who have been raped. Kate had to know that. Where ever she read up on the Van Helsing thing would have talked about it. Men have written most of the worlds books on the subject. You know what point of view the book must have taken.” Buffy was dripping with hate.

“So what are you going to do to Kate?” Martha might have been furious at the woman but she wouldn’t let her be hurt. It was clear Kate was out of her mind.

“I don’t know. Got any ideas?”

“I do.” Tara said from the door.

“Tara or Kali?” Buffy asked.

“Tara, although I was with Kali when I got it.” Tara explained.

“Please” Buffy asked pulling Duncan further up against her.

“First off I was watching what happened. I couldn’t….K..Ka…Kal…Kali wouldn’t let me, I am sorry Duncan.” Tara stuttered out.

“Not your fault. Understand.” Duncan whispered back.

“Martha, I also heard your conversation with Kate. The part about her crossing the line and Buffy being the judge. It was a good speech and I think some of it Kate got.” Tara said happily. “Anyway, I think with Kate being a cop and all. She might get a trial. Only I don’t think Buffy should be the Judge. I was thinking maybe you or someone else. Buffy could be the defense attorney. Willow could be the prosecution attorney. Maybe Angel and Cordelia could come down and testify about what she did in LA.”

The room was silent for a long time. Then Buffy turned to Duncan and asked, “You were the one she hurt most what do you think?”

“It would have to be a fair trial.” Duncan replied.

“Duncan, you do understand that Buffy needs to be the one to defend her.” Tara asked

“She is the most logical, I understand. It is my fault too. I didn’t fight back.” Duncan added.

“Duncan even if you were human and you didn’t fight back she still hurt you. And it was still wrong on her part not yours.” Buffy explained to the girl. “You shouldn't have had to fight back. Duncan you did nothing wrong.”

They had offered to come down to the dungeon with her. They had told her she didn’t have to do it but something inside her said she did. It had been almost two days since everything happened. Many plans had been put in place. And now she was there to explain those plans to the one person they concerned.

“My aren’t we a brave little creature. What no big strong slayer to protect you.” Kate wondered why she needed to be mean to the girl and she actually felt bad about it. She just couldn’t stop herself.

“I have always been brave. I came down here to talk to you.” Duncan said purposely moving a chair infront of Kate's bed well within reach of her.

“I am impressed. I was given to believe you things were shy.”

“We are. I am a little more out going than most of my race. But I am still harmless. If you try and hurt me, you will succeed. But that isn’t what I need to talk to you about it.”

“All business, hmm, don’t tell me you really did like me working you over and are back for more.”

“They have decided what to do with you. How to proceed. It is my job to inform you.”

“Passed judgement already. I am impressed.

“No. You are to be held until your trial next Saturday. Buffy is normally the judge jury and executioner of the demon world. You are a unique case. Mostly because you're human. Because of this Buffy has found a willing and fair Judge to hear your case, Martha Williamson. Buffy will be your defense attorney. She will be downstairs later. She has promised to do her best and give you a fair defense. Willow Rosenburg will be the lawyer for the prosecution. If you have anyone you wish to testify on your behalf you will need to tell Buffy or the court. Tara has offered her services as medium if there are souls you wish to call. The charges you are to be tried upon are as follows: Attempted rape of a non-human innocent Reinfield. Attempted murder of a non human, innocent succubus.”

“Innocent.”

“You can argue that point at the trial. It can be the point of your defense.” Duncan offered

“Is that it?”

“No the last charge is the endangerment of innocent lives both human and non human in the course of vigilante activity. Oh and Kate, none of these charges carries the death penalty. Buffy said to tell you that.”

“So what penalty do they carry?”

“Retribution. The Succubus you hurt has a family. She missed a lot of work. So if you are found guilty on that charge you will be asked to send the family a little money each month. Violet isn’t a hateful person, I think the sum will be something like fifty dollars a month for three years. But it depends on the trial. The other two charges, they're a lot rougher if you get convicted.”

“How rough?” Kate asked wondering what the hell these people had in mind.

“You will be forced to live as a Reinfield for two years. Not twenty-four hours a day. No human could handle that. They said something about you having to get a job. But at night and the weekends when you are not working you would have to live like a Reinfield. You wouldn’t have to eat bugs or anything. And they wouldn’t really hurt you. Not really. You would have safety words. Reinfields don’t get safety words.”

“A trial huh? Figures?”

“Kate, the bottom line is, no one will really hurt you, guilty or not. That is the important thing. No one wants to hurt you.” Duncan explained. “But there are consequences for your actions.”